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The institutionalisation of children has been seen to increase the risk for emotional, developmental, cognitive and attachment disorders later in life. Transitioning out of institutionalised care and integrating into the outside world has been found to be a difficult experience for many care leavers. Some of them are not prepared to face the outside world, feel neglected and lack a support system. Some may experience socio-emotional distress owing to a lack of necessary social skills in life outside the institutions.
The study purposed to assess the psychological wellbeing of adults who…
Abstract:
The death of a parent can leave children helpless and at risk of both psychological and physical problems, the difficulties become compounded when they live in an orphanage. The number of orphans in Kenya will most likely grow in future due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is a primary cause of death in adults in Kenya. Children residing in orphanages are among the most vulnerable group in the society as they live with fear of abuse and neglect. Despite the high levels of depression and other mental illnesses in Kenya, it is difficult to plan for effective interventions…
Learning briefs are short resources that share more about how Changing the Way We Care undertakes a certain aspect of the care reform work and what some of the main lessons are. This learning brief was developed as part of the initiative's 2022 annual report and shares learning on family-based alternative care from Guatemala, Moldova, India and Kenya and links the reader to additional CTWWC resources on the topic.
Changing The Way We CareSM (CTWWC) is a global initiative designed to promote safe, nurturing family care for children. This includes reforming national…
The transition of a residential care service involves significant change at all levels of an organization and affects many different stakeholders, including the children, their families, the staff, and the board and management of the organization. As with any significant change, transition can result in a range of emotional reactions amongst those most impacted, such as fear, uncertainty, and worry. Unless these emotions are acknowledged and addressed, it is common for stakeholders to resist change, regardless of its overall merits.
In this video, Anne Kinuthia, shares how social work…
BACKGROUND
Childrearing in sub-Saharan Africa is often viewed as collaborative, where children benefit from support from kin. For single mothers living in informal settlements, kin networks may be highly dispersed and offer little day-to-day childrearing support, but may provide opportunities for child fostering.
OBJECTIVE
This study uses a linked lives approach, where single mothers’ connections with kin and romantic partners may influence whether – and what type of – kin are relied on to support child fostering.
METHODS
The authors leverages an innovative survey on the kin…
The relationships between care environment, resilience, and social factors in orphaned and separated adolescents and youths (OSAY) in western Kenya are complex and under-studied. Survey responses from OSAY living in Charitable Children’s Institutes (CCI) and family-based care settings (FBS) in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya were used to examine the associations between 1) care environment and resilience; 2) care environment and factors thought to promote resilience (e.g. social, family, and peer support); and 3) resilience and these same resilience-promoting factors, using multivariable linear and…
This paper examines the nature and benefits of foster care and identifies some of the key challenges associated with this form of care in Eastern and Southern Africa. It outlines the elements of an enabling environment needed for successful large-scale foster care programmes, including legislation, guidance, changes to social norms, coordination mechanisms, and a strong social service workforce.
The paper also provides lessons learnt from the region on how to support each stage of the foster care process.
The Kenya-Italy “Virtual Exchange Program on Foster Care” aims to create a platform for learning, networking and sharing knowledge and best practices on Foster Care among different government stakeholders, from Kenya and Italy.
The program is organized as part of the development cooperation project named “APRIRE: Tuwarudishe Watoto Nyumbani: Foster Care, Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration for a Future to Vulnerable Children in Kenya”, financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). It has been developed and implemented by a consortium of…
Kenya has embarked on a care reform process that is aimed at promoting family and community-based care options and subsequently reducing reliance on institutions (Children’s homes, Orphanages, baby centers, etc.) This booklet, along with the accompanying animations, emphasizes the importance of family based care for the care of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) in Kenya, provides answers to regularly asked questions, and lists current government efforts to support OVC, including the policy and legal…
Executive Summary
The government of Kenya is committed to moving away from institutional care towards family and communitybased care. This is in line with international and national child rights instruments and informed by a growing evidence-based illustrating the benefits of family-based care on children’s development and the potential negative impacts of residential care. Kenya has made important strides and achieved key milestones over the past two decades in relation to children’s care and protection. Beginning in 2001, when the Children’s Act (referred hereafter as “…